When planning a toy storage system for your home, the first thing you should do is consult the experts — your kids. Together, you and your child should determine how things should be stored, when and where items are used most frequently, etc. By including them in the planning process, your kids will feel more inclined to keep the system that you’ve created in good, working order.

Think Creatively

Toy storage doesn’t have to be a bunch of baskets stacked alongside of a child’s bedroom wall or a big open barrel stuffed with toys in the den. There are many attractive options available to make toy storage look good.

If your child usually plays with his toys in a family common area, choose storage boxes made from natural materials, like bamboo or Makati, that you can quickly and attractively display on a shelf when company comes.

Or, if you’re pressed for space in a child’s playroom, think of overdoor pockets for small stuffed animals and other small items. Closing a closet door can quickly conceal the pockets.

Use containers of different colors to organize different types of toys. Label containers if they are not see-through so your child can immediately identify what’s inside, and where toys should be placed when they are finished playing with them.

For younger children, you may want to take a photo of the toy and place that photo on the outside of the box so it’s easy to know at a glance what belongs in the box.

No matter what organization solutions you decide on, make sure that your child understands that this is where the toys should be kept at all times. Help your child understand that this is her own space, where her belongings are kept. Creating this sense of ownership will help her stick to the storage plan.

Toys can sometimes seem to consume every area of our home and sometimes, there’s just not enough space. Don’t forget about those often-overlooked areas under the bed and over the door. Don’t forget to maximize all of your vertical space. Look for shelving solutions that can go floor to ceiling and store things your child doesn’t need to access regularly on the top shelf. Choose boxes and totes that stack securely on top of one another to save the most space.

The best way to make sure your child sticks to this new system is to make it fun. Perhaps you create a fun game or offer a small reward once everything is put away — whatever you do, by helping reinforce the importance of putting toys away, you’ll help create a healthy routine for your child.

"Where it makes sense I will always try to use open containers in kids' rooms and playrooms. Open containers make for easy access and more likely they'll put things away. If you must use closed bins try to make them clear so kids will easily know what..." read more

"This is a cheap and fun way to do it ...I reuse the empty boxes of diapers and just wrap it with a nice wallpaper that my son chose! ..the wallpaper is easy to use, and long enough to have to many boxes as you need with the same design .....if is..." read more

"While my children were growing up we always found new toys come into our house from various friends/family. When the children stopped playing with the toys I would put them up and away for a couple months and when I would bring them back down the..." read more

"To keep kids interested in their toys, I take them out of circulation. When they re-appear, they are like new! (This also gives them some time to gather the missing pieces). I need big containers for the toys to go into the garage, and smaller ones..." read more

"My 9yr old's room is small. He loves Lego's, Hot Wheels, Bakugan and several other things. We went to The Container store and found these great wire shelving units bought one, also a sotrage piece for under the bed. The wire shelf went into the..." read more